Bryant Shoemaker
Bryant Shoemaker passed away from a difficult battle with pancreatic cancer on March 6th at age 63 at his home in Santa Barbara surrounded by his family.
Bryant was born in St. Louis to parents Ed and Barbara. He had two siblings, Sally and Mark with whom he remained close his entire life. He went to UCSB and graduated with a degree in film. At UCSB he met the love of his life, Peggy, and married her in 1984. Bryant and Peggy had 4 children together, Sarah, Sean, Ann and Elizabeth. He worked at local company Yardi Systems for over 30 years, retiring shortly before his passing.
Bryant was an expert at enjoying life and he brought joy to everyone he met. During Bryant’s battle with cancer he would save his best jokes for his Oncology team to brighten up his appointments. Prior to his diagnosis, Bryant played tennis and golf multiple times a week, rode his bike and enjoyed swimming in the ocean and pools as frequently as possible. Bryant was an avid gardener who took pride in growing vegetables, fruit trees, and native plants. His Wednesday golf game and Harry’s nights were some of the things he missed most after his diagnosis. During the times when he felt good enough to meet his friends and indulge in a margarita he would excitedly update his whole family. His tennis community brought him such joy through the years, and while he loved being on the court competing, it paled in comparison to the friendships he built off the court. The support of his friends through his battle brought Bryant and the family such comfort. He will be remembered for his good humor, kindness, love of family, and friendship.
Bryant is survived by his wife Peggy, child Sarah, her husband Matthew, son Sean, twin daughters Ann and Elizabeth, two grandchildren Brennan and Owen, siblings Sally and Mark, nieces and nephews, and many cousins. Bryant was a family man, who loved nothing more than being with his family. The joy he exhibited when everyone was together was contagious, and he imparted on his children a deep understanding of the importance of family. Bryant’s advice to his family was to live a life of joy, build deep friendships, and always work on cultivating new ones. His loss will forever be a source of pain, but his children all feel a deep gratitude for having had him in their lives.
A remembrance of life will be held later in the year. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network or Ridley Tree Cancer Center. The family would like to thank the staff of Ridley Tree Cancer Center, Dr. Davis and Dr. Meyers for their support through the long battle. Their dedication to his case and support through the progression of the disease made a difficult journey much easier.